Of Fire and Ice: The 79th Hunger Games
by Undesireable No.13
Summary: What if the rebellion never happened? What if District 13 is still planning their attack? Enter Ivy, District 6's newest tribute for the 79th Hunger Games. Soon, she meets Ash, President Snow's cocky son. The course of love never did run smooth...
1. Chapter 01: The Reaping

**Disclaimer: **I don't own the Hunger Games. That all belongs to its lovely author, Suzanne Collins. I only own what and who you don't know [:

**Author's Note: **I've actually started this story a week ago :D But I was unsure so I just postponed it for a while :P Hope you like it! I am very dedicated to this~ Oh yeah, and I don't own the song by the way. ON WITH THE STORY.

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[Chapter 01: The Reaping]

Chemical. Acid. Explosion.

These things race through my mind as I dream about the day my father died.

Lab. Fire. Father. Death. I cannot take it anymore.

My eyes instantly open as my hands search for my two siblings, Lily and Etlen. I turn to see them both sleeping next to me, completely deep in slumber. My breathing comes heavy as my hair cling to my face with sweat. The moonlight shines through the window in our room, casting an eerie shadow.

I prop myself up on my elbows, slowly slowing my breathing. As I watch them in the darkness, I start to envy them. After all, it is not them who wake up every now and then, drenched in sweat, scared out of their wits. No, it's me.

Of course, that is not the only reason for my fear. Today is reaping day, a grim day for all of us. Already are fifteen slips of papers with "Ivy Willow" in the reaping balls.

Unable to sleep, I swing my feet over the bed, careful not to wake the others, and pull on my normal attire. It consist of an elbow-length cotton shirt, a cozy black jacket, worn leather boots that has shaped into my soles, and a warm woolly cap with long tussles on the side.

I quietly slip out of the house and walk to the edge of the forest where my "friends" were. The closer I got, the more I could hear them, singing and chirping for the rising sun. Chirping, you say? Mockingjays, that's who they are. I do not socialize much in town, though my brother often tells me that I am the most desirable girl there. I merely laugh when he does.

"Hello," I say quietly, slipping into the covers of the woods. Here in District 6, the forests are not forbidden, only a small part. I quickly scale a tree and make myself home on a branch. A song quickly comes to mind. The mockingjays go silent as I begin.

_Somewhere, beyond the sea_

_Somewhere waiting for me_

_My love still stands on golden sand_

_And watches the ships, that go sailing_

_Somewhere, beyond the sea_

_She's there watching for me_

_If I could fly, like birds on high,_

_Then straight to her arms,_

_I'll go sailing._

After a few repetitive lines, the mockingjays quickly pick up the song and they sing it back to me. I listen with giddiness. It is one of my only comforts in this despicable world.

From my line of view, I could see the old ruins of the lab that destroyed my father and grit my teeth, clenching my fists with anger and grief. Black, charred, rubbish litter the ground that barely anyone had bothered to clean. The explosion was far too strong for anyone to survive, so there were no bodies to bury.

My father had been killed in a chemical accident, consisting of too much neutrons that had overweight the other atoms, creating an unstable chemical reaction—the great explosion. He was a great man, my father. Maybe even the best scientist in our district.

And my mother… She was his true love. After his death, she couldn't bear to live without him. Two weeks after his death, she flung herself off a cliff, severing her spine causing an instant death.

It was only through strong persuasion and trickery did Lily, Etlen, and I not get sent to the community place for children. It was also a good thing that Etlen was a good six feet, or else we could have not passed him off as eighteen years old. According to the world, he is nineteen and a half when actually he is only seventeen.

Lily is my twin sister, older than me by a minute, so I'm told. She's the exact duplicate of me, save for her eyes, which are a bright jade green while mine are an iridescent blue, like ice. Other than that, we both have wavy ebony hair, a willowy petite body (standing only at five feet five), and pale, porcelain skin inherited from our late mother.

But even though she looks exactly like me, she is nothing like me. She loved animals and hated the thought of killing them, which is why she went vegetarian, surviving on roots and nuts, but somehow she maintains her healthy looks. I bet she wouldn't even last ten minutes in the Games. Me? I loved meat. Especially juicy grooslings. She was the mother figure in our little trio, which was fine by me.

Etlen, looks wise, is pretty much the opposite of us. He stands at exactly six feet, with dark tanned skin and dark green eyes, with tousled black hair, the only thing that we all have in common. He's fairly good looking, I suppose, which is a total understatement. It's irritating to hear girls sigh over him. Makes me want to slap some sense into them, actually.

I realize that the mockingjays had stop singing, and come up with another tune. This time, it is a short, bitter-sweet aria that I came up with during my mother's memorial. Soon enough, they catch up on my tune and mimic me.

An hour later, I leave the forest with a grim smile. The sun has risen—nine-thirty by now I'm guessing—and Lily and Etlen will begin to worry when they realize I'm not there. _Only three more hours until the reaping_, I think. Three more hours until hell begins.

When I arrive home, I see that Lily and Etlen are awake already. Etlen greets me at the door as Lily pulls me into a sisterly hug. "Well hello to you too," I say with a small laugh.

"Why didn't you tell us you were going to the woods again?" asks Etlen with a frown. I shrug, thinking of my previous (and repetitively annoying) nightmare.

"I had a bad dream," I say honestly, pulling up a straight face. His features soften as I say those words, but harden once more.

"Next time, at lease leave a note," he says. I nod and go through the hallway to my—I mean _our_—room, changing out of my clothes. The home we live in isn't very big, but it was all we had. It had three rooms in total, a kitchen with an old, beat up TV in the corner, a bedroom in which we all share on one big bed, and a living room, which hasn't been used since my mother's… death.

Our mother's death has affected us all greatly. We went from the happy-go-lucky kids to the kids who had nothing to lose besides themselves. We taught ourselves survival skills, how to shoot an arrow, hand to hand combat, how to use different varieties of weapons, but most importantly, how to keep our emotions in check.

I wash myself in semi-warm water, gently massaging my scalp, and rub all the dirt and grime off. After I bathe, I put on a faded crimson dress that used to belong to my mother. It was held up with two skinny straps and had a sweetheart line. It came all the way down to my knees. I love the way the cool satin felt against my skin.

For my hair I decide on leaving it down where it rested an inch below my shoulders. I look in the mirror and think: _I don't look that bad at all._ Maybe Etlen was right. Maybe I was the most desirable girl in town. Often I hear whispers from girls, saying how I was a "cold, icy being" among many other unpleasant things. And the boys? Well, let's just say their whisperings are the very opposites of the girls.

As I gaze into the mirror, the thing that pops out the most is my eyes, which rests below long, dark fringe of lashes. They are a cool, iridescent, icy blue that I often use to glare at people, if not, accuse. I am no longer the happy girl who skips with the woodland animals. No, I am now a cold, fierce girl who is constantly fighting for a meal at the table, with only a meager amount to eat.

"Ivy!" calls Etlen, using that annoying nickname he dubbed me five years back. "Hurry up!" I groan. Soon the reaping (and the crying) would begin.

"Coming!" I yell, feeling irritated that he had call me that. I rush down the stairs to find Etlen and Lily waiting at the foot of the steps. Etlen wears a crisp white dress shirt paired with our father's black slacks while Lily wears a pumpkin orange version of my dress, also belonging to our dead mother.

They both look tense, as if they were preparing for a fight. We made a pact after our mother's death, that if one of us were ever a tribute in the arena, we would sponsor as much as we could, and to fight harder on if one of us dies.

We silently walk to the square where many people of District 6 were. The square gets smaller and smaller as more people arrive. Everyone had a grim expression. The air was tense and claustrophobic, and the only person who seemed to be in an actual happy mood was the strange lady next on the stage, who must be District 6's escort.

To me, she looks silly. She had light aqua blue skin and bright curly pink hair with sparkly golden tattoos decorating her skin. She wore a white, frilly dress that shimmered with golden sparkles to match her tattoos when she moves. Her name was Steffi Tark. If you take away… everything, she would have looked very pretty. Not to mention normal.

_Etlen's lucky_, I think grimly, _he doesn't have to reap anymore. That clever liar. _Lily and I quickly sign in, and then we walk over to the fifteen year old section while Etlen follows behind. While standing in line, I hold onto Lily's hand.

I spot little Dani, a lovely girl I used to babysit for her mother. She is only twelve, but her innocent features make her seem like she was nine or ten. She was the only girl who's ever felt more than a stranger. In some strange way, she was kind of like a little sister to me. She was so young and innocent; it's hard to imagine her killing someone.

Dani is in the twelve year old section, her eyes drawn and glassy. It doesn't take an idiot to see that she's sick. Her skin is pale and drawn, her eyes hallow. The bright sunshine yellow dress does nothing to flatter her complexion. I watch as she coughs violently, another girl patting her back gingerly. I wish I could go over there and reassure her, but I couldn't. There were too many peacekeepers around. Reluctantly, I turn my gaze away, determined to focus on something else.

There on the stage are three chairs, a podium, and two glass reaping balls, one for the boys and the other for the girls. The mayor, Mayor Lockwood, fills one of three seats while Steffi and our only living victor fill the other.

When the clock strikes two, Mayor Lockwood stands and walks over to the stadium, his footsteps heard all over the now empty square. He clears his throat, and gives a speech about Panem, the country that rose out of the ashes of the once prestigious North America. On and on he lists the fatal disasters and describes the brutal war that had shattered the country. The result? Panem. Then he talks about the Dark Days, the uprising against the Capitol. He talks more but I ignore him. I've already heard this a thousand times.

"It is both a time for repentance and a time for thanks," he intones gravely, but he isn't done. He then lists the past District 6 victors. In exactly seventy nine years, we've only had nine. One in which is alive today—Nicolette Callens, who won the sixty-nine, which makes her only twenty-nine, I think.

She sits straight on her chair, her eyes scanning the crowd, trying to predict the new tributes I guess. She has sleek black hair that was in a pixie cut, her eyes the same color as her hair, and a tall slim figure. She dons a white blouse and a black pencil skirt, looking very neat and crisp.

Nicolette stands as her name is being mention, and gives a slight bow as the crowd claps. I couldn't help but notice how pretty she is. Soon, Steffi walks up to the podium and does her usual pep talk. "Welcome to the 79th Hunger Games!" trills Steffi, as bubbly as ever. I stifle a laugh and I see that other people do too. Her accent is just so ridiculous! Do all the Capitol people have it? I watch her expression carefully. She doesn't seem to have noticed, or she doesn't care. "And may the odds _ever _be in your favor."

She goes on about what an honor it is to be here but I know she is itching to go back to her precious Capitol. In the crowd, my eyes meet with Etlen's and I force a small smile. His face darkens as he grimaces. I squeeze Lily's hand for reassurance as she returns the squeeze. I try to slow my beating heart, but I can't. My heart feels like it has run for miles. A small sheet of sweat breaks out on my forehead, and I wipe it away with my free hand.

Steffi walks over to the two reaping balls as I try to reassure myself, _there are thousands of slips in there. My name won't be picked. _I know I'm doing a bad job of reassuring myself. "Guys first!" she says, and reaches a hand into the guy's ball. She pulls out a slip as the crowd tightens with anticipation. "And the male tribute is… Michael Cain!" A shaky boy from the fifteen year old section walks up the steps, trying to put on a brave show, but you can tell by his slight shakings that he is silently crying. Somewhere in the crowd, I hear a family (his, maybe?) sobbing.

_I recognize him_, I realize. He's not too shabby looking, I guess. He had light brown hair and dark brown eyes, with a medium built figure. The only reason I recognize him is from the times I go shopping at the markets, where he works at the clothing stalls.

"Excellent!" trills Steffi, oblivious to the tears being shed. I begin to loath her. How could she not react to the cries of the people around her? Was she really that ignorant? "It's okay dear," she says, patting Michael's back, "you'll feel better at the Capitol!" Hah, I doubt it.

"And now the ladies," she says, reaching into the second glass bowl. She calls out the girl tribute's name, and I feel myself draw in a gasp. No… it couldn't be!

It is a name I know.

A name who's not feeling well.

It is innocent little Dani Keller.


	2. Chapter 02: I Volunteer!

**A/N: **Okies! So due to Hecticz's and Flittercherub's review, I redid this chapter a little bit ((: Haha, poor Lily. Tell me what you think of the chapter please? :3

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[Chapter 02: I Volunteer!]

"No," I whisper, watching as little Dani stumbles up the steps. She hacks a violent cough and almost trips, if it weren't for Nicolette, who catches her as she sways dangerously.

"Oh dear," says Steffi. "Don't worry. The Capitol will take care of you." I knew the truth. Dani wouldn't last long inside the arena _or_ the outside world. She was already dying, with only a year to live as said by the local doctor. Anyone can tell from her conditions.

Inside, I burn with anger. But it is not directed at Steffi this time, it's for the Capitol. I despise how they treat us this way, dining on fine food and altering their appearances into weirdly aliens while we all starve here with only a small of food to eat. They don't even have to do much! I wish I could stomp up right into their faces and give them a taste of my mind—and most likely my fists too.

"I can't let Dani go," I whisper to Lily, who is staring at the stage with a look of horror. She knows how bad Dani's condition is. "She'd die before she sets foot in the arena."

"We can't do anything about it," she whispers back, her eyes set on the stage. I look over to Etlen, who has a troubled expression on his face. I know that Dani being a tribute has affected us all. Why wouldn't it? She's the only one who dares approach and talk to us all. In other words, she's kind of grown on us. I tighten my grip on Lily's hand as I make my final decision.

"Correction," I say steely, "_you_ can't." Just then, Steffi asks:

"Are there any volunteers?" Without another thought, I throw myself out and yell in a strong voice:

"_I_ volunteer! I'll take her place!" Gasps emit from all around me as I walk forward onto the stage. All eyes are on me, and I know that the people are shocked.

"No!" shouts Lily unexpectedly. "I volunteer!" And this time, I'm shocked. Lily? In the arena? Facing the wild unknown? The very idea is ridiculous, even more ridiculous than saying that Etlen would become president of Panem. All around, people are shocked and confused.

"Are you out of your mind?" I hiss at her, pulling her hand down harshly. Then, to the audience, "No! She won't! I am!" She struggles against my grip and puts her other hand up.

"No! I volunteer in her place!" she yells stubbornly. This time, anger boils within me like no other, and I am shocked to find that it is against my sister. _You stubborn idiot! _I think. _What in the world are you thinking?_

"NO! She's not volunteering! I am!" I yell over her, placing my free hand over her mouth and holding her down with the other hand. "Ignore her! My sister's gone crazy over the summer!" She yells something out, but it is muffled by my hand. I can tell people around us, _especially_ the Capitol people I bet, are amused by our actions. "I officially volunteer in Dani's place!" Desperate, I shoot a glare at Etlen, who quickly comes to our side to hold down Lily.

She shoots me daggers with her eyes, and I ignore her. I couldn't help but wince a little, as if those daggers can actually do damage. "Excellent, excellent!" says Steffi, clapping her hands wildly. "A heartbreaking performance!" I keep my face emotionless. Dani runs over to me as I make it to the top step and throws herself in my arms. _Great, _I can't help but think sarcastically, _one more to doubt my actions._

"Please don't do it," she begs, her tears soaking into my bare shoulder. "Please, please, please." I hug her back, uncaring that the cameras were all on me. The Capitol people can just screw themselves for all I care.

"I can't let you die," I say gently, stroking her back. "You need to go on and have a full life." Even the words feel like lies in my mouth. We both know the truth.

"No," she whispers, hot tears flowing freely down her cheek. "Nononono. Ivy don't do this!" She then coughs, but stops as I pat her on the back. "I-Ivy, please don't do this!" I pull her away from me and grasp her by her shoulders.

"Listen to me," I say firmly, "you have to go home and get better, okay? Go watch your mom, your younger brother. You have to get better for them, got that? I promise I'll win. And when I do, I'll treat you to whatever you want. Just get better." She nods, her tears beginning to stop.

"P-promise?" She holds up a pinky. I nod solemnly, twisting my pinky around hers.

"Promise." Etlen then comes on stage, his face trying to conceal his shock, and takes Dani back to her family. I catch a glimpse of Lily controlling her tears, and hugging a very handsome boy, who tries to calm her down, and I know that's why Lily's been going to the marketplace an awful lot lately.

"Very emotional," says Steffi to the cameras, dabbling at an imaginative tear. Then, to me she asks, "What's your name, honey?" I keep a poker face on. If I show tears, then I will be marked as a weakling at the replays. And if I do, then I will be marked as an easy prey.

"Ivy Willow," I answer shortly. I know the last volunteer tribute was Katniss Everdeen, which is why my decision is accepted unquestioned, but warily.

"Well come on everybody," says Steffi bubbly, "let's give a round of applause for District 6's newest tributes!" Instead of clapping, the people of District 6 bow their heads with four fingers over their heart, a sign of farewell or goodbye.

I feel hot tears threatening to spill, but I blink furiously, trying to make them go away. Instead, a single tear drops from my left eye, and that's all I allow.


	3. Chapter 03: Final Farewells

[**A/N**: Surprise! Okay, so due to Scylin Renn's criticism, I'm set on fixing them right now! So then, I might change Chapter 01. But when I do, I'll say so in the next chapter. Hahahah, I already have an idea for it ^^ Some reviews would be nice! R&R please? (:]

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[Chapter 03: Final Farewells]

When the anthem ends, Michael and I are taken into custody. Not with handcuffs or ropes bound tightly, but with a wall of Peacekeepers surrounding us. It made me feel slightly claustrophobic.

We part ways as the Peacekeepers take us to separate rooms. Inside the room, it is the most luxurious place I have ever been. There is a red velvet couch similar to my dress, and two chairs made of the same velvet, with a mahogany table in the middle.

I sit on the couch, replaying the reaping scene in my head over and over; analyzing the critical details, for my memory is nearly photographic. So far, I see no faults in my actions, or any signs of weakness, which is good—for my part. While I'm deep in thought, I don't notice Lily and Etlen coming in until a crushing hug brings me back to the present.

"What were you thinking?" breathes Etlen from my left side.

"I don't want you to die!" cries Lily as she hugs me from my right. Both of them are crushing every bone me.

"Eugh! Get… off… of… me…" I manage to gasp out. They realize that they are crushing me and back off. I never thought I'd be so happy to breath once more. Air rushes back into my system as I gasp for more. "_Never_… ever… do that… again."

"Sorry," they say sheepishly. I purse my lips, all my breath returned to me now.

"It's okay." They both take a seat on the two chairs. I start to tell them all the things they would have to do without me, for it is usually I who hunts. Etlen usually haggles with people, but he's better than average when it comes to hunting, so I don't worry too much. I don't bother suggesting that Etlen teach Lily how to hunt. She's too kind of a soul to.

So I decide that Etlen must hunt and haggle while Lily takes care of her vegetable garden and looks for edible plants. And if they're careful enough, I say, and then they could have more food on the table than usual.

"And…" I say, nearly choking on the words. "If I die… Then you can't just stop and zone out. You have to keep on going. You _will_ move on, even if it is painful. Promise me." They both nod, Etlen's face emotionless while Lily looks like she's going to snap at any moment, which I hope for her sake that she doesn't. "And watch over Dani, please."

"Of course," says Lily. "We're not going to let you die for nothing." When she realizes what she's said, she rushes to add, "I mean, not that there's a guarantee that you're going to die or anything. I mean like, there's a slim chance that you might actually die. Oh! But then the others might already be trained, even if it's against the law. But then you probably have more skills than them…" She babbled on as I watched in amusement. Lily can be such an air head sometimes. "Oh I give up!" she says, throwing her hands into her lap in frustration.

"Remember," says Etlen seriously, all traces of humor gone, "when you get into Cornucopia, don't fight. Just take whatever you can and run like hell." I nod, acknowledging his words. "Find some knives—they're your best strength; and a bow and arrow, definitely. Remember, knives are your best weapons." I nod, absorbing all the information. My chest tightened with every breath. I was actually anticipating the Games.

Too soon the Peacekeeper knocks on the door, signaling the end of their time. It takes all my will to keep from crying as I yell, "I love you both! Remember, don't stop!" They both yell "I love you too!" as they are ushered out the door.

As soon as the door is shut, I fall onto the couch and cry soundlessly, letting the tears flow freely. Already I miss home, the mockingjays, the familiar woods. A little part of me regrets volunteering but another scolds it for being selfish.

I hear the door opening and quickly wipe my tears away, feverishly blinking until I'm sure my eyes aren't red anymore. Unsurprisingly, Dani and her mother, Becca, walk in. Dani flings herself onto me and wraps her skinny arms around my neck, burying her face into my neck. Her mother, Becca, quietly sits herself onto the chair.

She has dark brown hair reaching down to her waist that she ties into a neat ponytail with an olive complexion and watchful green eyes.

"I'm so sorry I got you into this mess," Dani says, her voice muffled.

"It's okay, little duck," I say, using her nickname. It reminds me of the first time I met her, when she was merely seven.

I was exploring the woods again; still disturbed by the same dream that's plagued me for years. It was early morning, meaning that most the people of District 6 were still asleep. The sun was only a small sliver through the mountains, the sky an orange-pink. My boots made no sound as I strayed from the path. I was far too light to make any; high metabolism comes in handy a lot.

Suddenly, a splash of sound echoed through the woods, bring my attention. I speed walked towards the source, wary about what it was. As I got closer, I slowed down and dodged behind the trees, peeking out as another splash took place. What surprised me was that it was a little girl, obviously younger than me, kneeling at the edge of a deep-looking lake. I was only twelve and a half back then.

I observed as she held a short slender stick, poking at something in the lake. Then, she suddenly fell in with a shriek. I started to panic, and dashed over to where the pond was. The little girl was struggling to save herself as she flapped her arms wildly. "Hold still!" I shouted, shrugging off my coat. I stripped down to a camisole and my pants, took a deep breath, and dived in.

The cold of the water hit me as soon as I burst through the surface. I reached for the surface and took another huge gulp of air. I swan towards the girl as she struggled to stay surfaced. I grabbed her arm and pulled her towards me as she squirmed in my grasp. "Hold still," I gasped, swimming for shore. She heeded my command as I finally reached shore.

I heaved her onto land and pulled myself up too, feeling as heavy in my wet clothes. She started to shiver and cry as I collected my clothes. "Shhh…" I said, unsure about what to do. "D-d-d-d-don't cry." I was still cold from the, er, "swim". My teeth were literally chattering and I feared that I had frostbite.

Shaking violently, I forced myself to give her my jacket while I pulled on the rest of my clothes. They clung to my clothes while I carried to girl to the little home Lily, Etlen, and I shared. We were both wet to the bone. "Why were you playing in the lake?" I asked as I navigated us back to civilization.

"I-I-I-I wanted to touch the ducky," she said, clutching my jacket closer to her. I let out a small laugh.

"All that for a duck," I muttered in disbelief. I sighed happily as we came closer to home. "What's your name?" I asked, shifting her weight.

"D-D-Dani," she said, shivering from the cold. "W-w-w-what's your name?" I gave her a small smile.

"Ivy," I said softly, feeling a gust of wind whip through my hair. "Ivy Willow."

Dani's sobs vibrates through my body as I hold her. Finally, about five minutes later, she stops her tears and wipes her face with her fists. My shoulder feels numb and wet. "I'm sorry I," she whispers hoarsely. I force a grim smile.

"It's not your fault," I say firmly. Her lower lips start to quiver again and I look to her mother for help. She bites back a smile and starts to pull Dani away into a motherly embrace.

"I… I thank you for taking her place in the Games," she says for the first time since they came into the room. "You have no idea how much I appreciate it. I… I don't know what I'd do if Dani was thrown into the Games in her… condition." Her voice breaks on the word "condition" and I fear that she was going to cry like her daughter.

Before I can say anything, she reaches into her pocket and pulls out something wrapped in a handkerchief. "I know this doesn't match up to the deed you've done, but I hope this will worth at least a third of it." My mind is boggled as she opens the piece of cloth to reveal a pin. I gasp as she holds it out to me.

In the center is a rose, made of what seems like thin ice blue diamonds, surround by a delicate yet strong ivy-twined silver circlet. It is absolutely breathtaking, and priceless. "I…" I am at loss for words. I try again. "I… I can't accept this!" If sold, it could feed a family for approximately three to five years (assuming the buyer had that much money)!

"Please," she says, "take it. It's the least I can do." I protest, but she keeps handing me it. I try again.

"No," I say firmly. As much as I'd like to have it, I refuse to take something that beautiful. "Use this for yourself. I just can't accept something this priceless!" She shakes her head no just as firmly and pins it on my dress as I watch helplessly.

"There," she says. "It looks better on you than me." I give her a smile that is weak compared to her satisfied one.

"Thank you," I say sincerely. I give her one of my rare, genuine smile which she returns. A knock on the door alerts me of the Peacekeepers, and that visiting time is up. "Remember," I say to Dani, just as she leaves, "be strong. You have to take care of your mother." She nods, her bottom lips quivering, and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

The sight of them leaving hurts, and I wish that I could run after them and beg them to take me along. But I can't. After all, I'm going to have to be strong if I want to survive in the Games.


End file.
